Returnable shipping container



Aug; 14, 1934. R, c, BENDER RETURNABLE SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed July 3, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l r ...iIllilllilIlJWJUmHUHWIIIIIIII IN VEN TOR /Ft G @ENDE/e A TTORNEY Aug- 14, 1934- R. c. BENDER 1,970,413

RETURNABLE SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed July 3, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6`. BEA/DER INVENTOR FI E 6 A TTORNE Y Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RETURNABLE SHIPPING CONTAINER Robert C. Bender, Davenport, Iowa VAppli-warum July s, 1933, serial No. 678,896- 6 claims. v(c1. y21V- 72) The present invention relates to the construction of a shipping container designed more particularly for the shipment of perishable commodities which require icing in transit to the consignee. While this construction is designed specifically for use in the shipment of fish and other sea foods, it will be understood that it may be utilized in the shipment of other commodities.

. Among the objects of this invention areto provide a shipping container in which the commodities being shipped may be easiy iced in transit; to provide a shipping container in which the commodty at the bottom of the container will be kept asthoroughly iced as that farther up; to provide a'shipping container in which the ice and the commodity being shipped will be maintained separated at all times but the commodity will nevertheless be kept thoroughly cooled; to` provide a shipping container in which any drippage orslime from the commodity being transported will have an opportunity to drain away instead of accumulating; to provide a shipping container of the character indicated in which the commodity container can readily adjust itself within the ice container so as to avoid any .undue strains; to provide a container of the character indicated on which the return freight or express rate will be a minimum; to provide a structure of the charac- `ter indicated in which the commodity container is so constructed that it can be readily adjusted to different sizes .of other containers; and `such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will Vhereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction disclosed herein. My invention further resides in the combination, construction, and arrangement ofV parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, while I have shownA therein what is now considered the preferred embodiment of this invention, I desire the same to be understood as illustrative only and not to be interpreted` in Va. limiting sense. Y

In the accompanying drawings, showing the lpreferred andan alternative form of construction, i Y

Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section through a shipping container embodying my present invention; i v

Fig. 1A is a fragmentary section through the upper partof the structure shown in Fig. 1 but with the inner container opened up and `ready to receive the commodity to be shipped;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken approximately along the plane indicated by the line 2-2, Fig. 1; y

Fig. 3 is a similar section taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 3-3, Fig. 1; I

Fig. liis a view similar tovFig. 1 but showing what is now considered the preferred form of this invention;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section similar to Fig. 3, but taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 5-5, Fig. 4; y Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation intended to show the suspension of the inner container;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation showing the means for suspending the inner containerin an extended, upright position. v

Reference will now be made in greater detail to the annexed drawings for a more complete disclosure of this invention. Essentially, it comprises a shipping barrel with a commodity container therein toV separate the commodity from the cooling medium. Ordinarily, the cooling medium used is cracked ice, though of course it will be understood that it would be possible, though scarcely commercially practicable to use the cooling mediumknown as dry ice.

While this invention will be disclosedV with reference to its utility in the transportation of sh, it will be understood `that it may also be used for the transportation of other commodities. There are barrels which are known in the trade as iish lbarrels Aand these are of standard size and shape. The structure shown on Sheet lof the drawings shows such a barrel, modiiied as necessary for the utilization of my invention. The barrel 1 has a plurality of hoops 2 and a bottom 3 which should be provided with a substantially centrally located opening 4. This opening is provided so A.that

the water resulting from the melting of the I,

ice will have an opportunity to run out of the barrel instead of accumulating therein and causing the ice to float. This commodity container 5 may have a pressed metal bottom 6 and a canvas body 7 or it maybe made entirely of metal, if desired.

As shown, the bottom 6 is dish-shaped with an ,upstanding flange 8 to which the body 7 ,is tightly secured. The securing means is shown in Figs. 1 and 4 as rivets passing through the l `iiange and the doubled edge of the canvas; `As yshown in Fig. 1, feet 9 are secured to the under sideof the bottom 6 and hold the same spaced away from the bottom 3 of the barrel. VThis permits easy access of `the'water to the opening Aupper end of the ycover connected tothe upper vedge of said con- -provided which clear from what 4 so that it may readily drain from the barrel. An opening is formed in the bottom 6 and permits any fluid substance to fiow from the container 5 to the opening 4 and out of the barrel. A metal strap 11 is passed through a link of the chain 12 and is secured to the bottom by means of rivets or spot welding. This chain 12 tends to keep the container 5 approximately centered with relation to the barrel 1 so that there may be a substantially uniform thick-ness of ice between the side walls of the barrel and container. The ring 12a is larger than the opening 4 and must, therefore be removed from the chain 12 before the latter can be inserted through the opening. Then, after the chain'is inserted, the ring is replaced on the chain and serves to limit the amount of lateral movement of container 5. After the commodity, say, for example, sh,

has been packed in the container 5, which is sus-y pended in the barrel 1 by means of rods 13 passed throughy loops atfthe sides of the upper portion and through openings in the barrel, the upper portion of the container is folded over as shown in Fig. 2 and the lacing 14 is put through the openings and tightened up and then tied to keep the container 5 closed. After this has been done, cracked ice is lled in between the barrel 1 and container 5 and then the cover 15 of canvas or gunny sacking or other suitable material is placed over the top of the barrel and the upper hoop 2 is forced on to hold the same in place. The rods 13 may be removably held in place by any suitable means, such as cotter keys, shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. Because of the fact -that some shippers use barrels of other than standard dimensions, such as flour barrels, sugar barrels, starch barrels and the like for the shipping of commodities, it is necessary to have a construction which will be adaptable to these barrels of varying sizes. For such use I prefer to substitute flat bars 13a for the rods 13 and have chains 16 secured to the ends thereof, these chains having keys 1'7 at their free ends. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the keys 17 are inserted through links of the chains 16 after the latter have been passed 'through the openings 18 abovel and laterally of the container 5. This is shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. This arrangement tends to hold the container 5 suspended and to hold it laterally centered with relation to the barrel.

Instead of the feet 9 *being separate elements secured to the bottom' 6, they may be formed as projections 9a integral with the metal of the bottom, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

It will be understood' that if the containers 5 are made of metal it will be necessary to have the* topsA made of goods and secured to the container or else have a metal tainer. Any, suitable closure means may be will serve satisfactorily. Metal containers have the advantage of being more p sanitary, being-more easily cleaned and sterilized, being vmore -lasting and "not y absorbing moisture.

I It is' believed the use of this Vdevice will be has been said above but same will' bev briefly summarized. The container 5 isfputinto an empty barrel with its chain 12 extending through the opening 4 and the rods 13 extending through the opposite openings in the barrel or, if the formV shown on sheet 2 be used, the bars 13a will be connected to the .barrel bymeans Yoffthe chains'l beingpassed through the openings 18 and the keys 17 passed through links 16 as described above. The commodity to be shipped, for example sh, is next packed closely in the container 5 to ill same completely, as nearly as may be. Now, when the container is filled and its top closed and secured by the lacing 14, cracked ice is packed around the container to fill the space between itV and the barrel. After this operation is completed the cover 15 is put over the open end of the barrel and the hoop 2 is driven on to hold the cover in place. The package is now ready to be shipped. When the re-icing stop is reached, the cover 15 is removed and additional cracked ice placed in the barrel and then the cover replaced. By this method of shipping, iceis always kept around the bottom, as well as the top, of the commodity container and therefore a substantially uniform temperature is maintained throughout the same. When the shipment reaches its destination and the commodity has been removed from the container 5, the barrel and container may be returned to the shipper or the container may be removed from the barrel and returned at a low rate, the cost of return of the container being very small in comparison by reason of the fact that it is light in weight and collapsible and therefore not subject to excessive shipping charges.

It will of course be understood that the specific description of structure andmethod set forth above may be departed from .without departing from vthe spirit of my invention as set. forth in this specification and the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A structure for the purpose indicated comprising an outer container, a shipping vcontainer having a 'perforated rigid bottom, means adjacent its opposite end whereby the shipping container may be supported within the outer container,` closure means for said opposite end whereby said end may be closed when said container is filled, and a flexible connector secured to the inner container and passing through said perforated bottom to position the inner container within the outer container.

' 2. A shippingV container of the character indicated comprising an external container, a metallic bottom having feet for supporting same, `said bottom being perforated for the drainage of fluid from the interior ofthe container, a

body secured to said bottom, said body being hollow for the reception of a commodity to be shipped, loops adjacent the free end of the body for the support thereof within the external container, means in said loops to connect the shipping container to an'external container, and means for closing and fastening the free end of said shipping container. Y

y 3. A structure for the purpose indicated comprising a flexible shipping container having a rigid bottom provided with feet for maintaining said bottom out of contact with an object upon which said container may be placed, a fabric body secured rigidly 'tov said base and having loops adjacent its free end whereby the fabric container may be supported, rods or bars insaid loops for holdingl thebody ofl the containerein an upright position, and means for closing the free end of thefabric container and keeping vit. closed while shipment is being made.

4. A shipping package for the purpose indi- Y cated comprising an external container having one end open and its opposite'end apertured for the reception O1' .af

positioning means, an 150 internal container having a rigid bottom provided with an aperture to permit drainage of fluid from the interior of the second container,

positioning means extending through the apertures in the ends of the two containers, to position the internal container approximately centrally of the external container, a more or less exible body for the internal container secured rigidly to the bottom thereof and spaced from the external container to provide space between the two containers for the reception of refrigerating means, and means for supporting the upper portion of said body from and with relation to the upper portion of the wall of the external container.

5. A shipping package comprising a pair of nested containers having means connecting the lower ends thereof to hold the inner container approximately centrally positioned with relation to the outer container, means for spacing the bottom of the inner container away from the bottom of the outer container to permit ice and uid to have access to the space between the bottoms of the containers, and means for suspending the upper portion of the inner container from the upper portion of the outer container and holding same so positioned with relation thereto as to permit of inserting a refrigerant between the walls of the inner and outer containers, the last named means comprising loops connected to the inner container and rods or bars passed therethrough and secured to the outer container.

6. A shipping package for cated comprising a pair of nested containers, spaced apart for the reception of cracked ice, means for supporting the bottom of the inner container spaced from the bottom oi the outer container to permit access of ice to the under side of the inner container, exible means to position the lower end of the inner container approximately centrally with relation to the lower end of the outer container, loops adjacent the upper end of the inner container, rods or bars extending through said loops and secured to the upper portion o the outer container to support the inner container with relation thereto and to position the two containers relatively to each other so that a refrigerating medium may be put into this space between the two containers to keep the inner container and its contents cold.

ROBERT C. BENDER.

the purpose indi- 

